


Better

by tioupfic



Category: Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, freddy is Bad at adulting, mention of past childhood abuse, otpprompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 04:39:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6141783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tioupfic/pseuds/tioupfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Freddy gives himself a black eye in probably the dumbest possible way. Larry finds it hilarious until they go out for dinner and receive dirty looks from the other patrons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt: http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/122892661139/imagine-a-of-your-otp-the-less-physically-strong
> 
> I guess I could have put all these prompt-based fics into one big post but I didn't think of that until now.

“You did what?” Larry asked, unable to contain his laughter.

“Shut up,” Freddy replied defensively, gingerly touching the enormous bruise on his left eye. “It was an accident.”

“A can fell on you,” Larry repeated. “At least tell me you were reaching for something manly. Brown meat in a can or something, at least.”

Freddy shifted uncomfortably.

“Come on, kid, or I’ll just look around myself.”

Freddy mumbled something underneath his breath.

“What was that? I didn’t catch that.”

“…Spaghettio’s,” he repeated embarrassedly. Larry bent over and clutched his stomach while laughing. 

“Poor kid,” he finally managed, although it didn’t sound very sincere. 

“Yeah, yeah, can we just get going?”

Larry stood up and walked over to where Freddy was standing. He pulled the kid into an embrace and ran his fingers through dirty blond hair. 

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he whispered, turning his head so he could kiss right below the bruise. “Let me make it up to you. Get dressed and we’ll go.”

They had been planning to try out a new, upscale restaurant that evening. It was Larry’s idea. Freddy wasn’t really into that kind of stuff, but Larry was pretty old-fashioned when it came down to it. Anyway, Freddy wasn’t about to complain about good food and the fact that Larry would inevitably decide that Freddy is too much of a slouch to dress and groom himself correctly. He had no idea why, but he loved it when Larry would comb his hair or tie his tie for him. 

“There,” Larry said as he stood back to admire his work. “You’re perfect.” He leaned forward and gave Freddy a quick kiss. 

The restaurant was nice and Freddy had to admit he was enjoying himself more than he had expected. They were drinking some really good wine and enjoying good conversation. Larry, however, couldn’t help but notice the harsh stares being directed at him. He was accustomed to getting such looks here and there; after all, he was a career criminal and his day-to-day appearance was a little rough around the edges. Sometimes people would stare at him when he was with Freddy, but it was unusual, and he chalked it up more to their age difference than their gender similarity. But tonight almost every person who passed them seemed to be giving him the evil eye. 

Freddy was telling a story about something that happened to him one time in Long Beach when suddenly Larry realized what was going on. Two guys, one visibly older and visibly stronger, the younger one has a huge shiner on one eye. Larry tries to pay attention to the story, and as soon as it’s over he chuckles politely and excuses himself. 

He goes to the bathroom and splashes some water on his face. He doesn’t want Freddy to feel uncomfortable; the kid was already embarrassed about it. At the same time, Larry can’t believe people would think he would lay a hand on the kid. The thought made him nauseous. His mind jumped around, briefly flickering scenes from his childhood that he had thought were long-repressed. 

Meanwhile, Freddy relaxed and glanced around the restaurant. He felt uncomfortable as he realized how many people were staring at him. He tries to focus on the wine, on anything except the other people. When he glances up, though, he realizes there is a woman sitting across from him. She looks to be a few years older than he is, maybe 35. Freddy reads the expression on her face as pity. 

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she begins softly. “I just wanted to give you this.” She hands him a business card. “And I wanted you to know that you do have options, and you should never be ashamed of what happened. You deserve so much better, and --“

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Freddy cuts her off. “The fuck is this?” He looks at the business card. “Shelter for abused men…the fuck?? This is fucking absurd.” He tosses the card back at her. 

“I’m sorry. Look. You don’t have to keep lying to yourself, is all I’m saying. He’s obviously hurting you, and --“

“Listen, lady. You don’t know shit. You think that just because I’ve got a black eye, just because I’m with an older guy, that I’m being abused? Fuck you. You fucking think you know what’s going on --“

“There a problem here?” Freddy turns his head around rapidly at the sound of Larry’s voice. 

“Yeah, this --“

“I was just going,” she said, quickly leaving the table before the three of them created an even bigger scene. 

Larry slid down into his seat. “The fuck was that about?” 

“Nothin, man, forget about it.”

They try to continue dinner as normal, but neither could really forget about what happened. 

When they got home, Larry pulled off his tie and sat down on the couch. He motioned for Freddy to join him, and he pulled the younger man into his lap. 

“Kid, you know I would never lay a hand on you.”

Freddy laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Of course he knew that, he thought. Then again, wasn’t it a little strange that he had no doubts about this when Larry was a hardened career criminal? 

“Man, Larry, I fucking know that.”

“I just want you to hear it from me. I will never, ever hurt you. I promise.”

Freddy wrapped his arms around Larry’s shoulders. “I know this.”

Larry’s grip on his waist tightened and they were silent for several minutes. Freddy had rested his chin on Larry’s head. 

“My old man used to hit me,” Larry broke the silence with a whisper. “Sent me to the hospital more than a few times. Nobody ever questioned the bullshit stories he made me tell about how I got hurt. And then one day he pushed my mother down the stairs.” He paused for a moment. “So it’s very important to me that you know I will never hurt you like that.”

Freddy tightened his grip and kissed Larry’s temple. 

“I love you, Larry.”

Larry turned his head and kissed Freddy softly. “I love you, too, kid. Come on, let’s go to bed.” He hooked one of his hands under Freddy’s knees and lifted him as he stood up. 

“Ugh, Larry, put me down!” Freddy squirmed and protested. “Come on, man! Put me down!”

“Nope, uh-uh, you get yourself hurt like a child, you get put to bed like a child. That’s the deal.”

“Larry that’s not fair!”

“And you argue like a child, too,” Larry tried to sound reprimanding, but it was hard when he was also laughing. He deposited Freddy unceremoniously on the bed before removing both their shoes and belts. Freddy got up and changed into night clothes while Larry did the same. Finally, they were able to crawl into bed and shut out the world around them. 

The next morning, Freddy got up and went into the kitchen only to find Larry standing on a chair and grabbing a new pot of coffee grounds from the top shelf. He turned around and smiled. 

“This is how grown ups reach things,” he said, stepping down from the chair. 

Freddy rolled his eyes. “Short grown ups.”

“Like you’re gonna have another growth spurt at 30.”

“You never know, I could be a late bloomer.”

“Hey, have some respect for your elders,” Larry teased as he started making the coffee. 

Freddy walked over to and wrapped his arms around Larry’s shoulders, kissing him gently. 

“Mm, that’s better,” Larry responded. He brought a hand up to Freddy’s eye, contacting the swollen skin with a feather-light touch. “How does it feel?”

“Better.”


End file.
